Roman J. Israel, Esq. is set in the Los Angeles criminal court system, far from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Used to working in the shadows, Denzel Washington stars as a shy, idealistic defense attorney whose life turns upside down when his mentor, a civil rights icon, dies unexpectedly. But when do-gooder Roman is recruited to join a firm led by an ethically questionable lawyer, George Pierce (Colin Farrell), Roman is tempted to abandon his long fight for justice in favor of wealth and fame.
Writer/director Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler, Kong: Skull Island, The Bourne Legacy) sat down with us on camera to talk about breaking the rules of screenwriting, the importance of outlining your ideas and using the seedy parts of Los Angeles as a character. “It’s not about the answers you come up with,” says Gilroy, “It’s the questions you ask.” Gilroy also gives some of the best advice to up and coming screenwriters we’ve ever heard. Check out our video.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is currently playing in theaters.